Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for January 20, 2020
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
January 20, 2020: It took just under 18 minutes for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to deliver what some consider to be America’s greatest speech of the 20th century.[1]
On August 28, 1963, the Baptist preacher and civil rights leader told the world of a dream that was “deeply rooted in the American dream.” He also made clear that “if America is to be a great nation," his dream of freedom and equality for all must “become true.”[2]
The most famous part of the speech-- eight sentences beginning with the phrase “I Have a Dream”-- was not in the text, but improvised by the eloquent preacher:[2]
| “ | “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.’ I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. |
” |
King then finished with a vision of a bright future that he would not live to see.[2]
| “ | “And when this happens, and when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"[3] | ” |
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- January 17, 2020 –19 counties in 5 states may face legal action over inaccurate voter registration
- January 16, 2020 –1 day until first voters go to the polls in Democratic presidential primary
- January 15, 2020 –64 years since first televised presidential primary debate
- January 14, 2020 –68 years since the last brokered Presidential convention
- January 13, 2020 –2 State Legislative Elections Decided By A Single Vote
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ The Washington Post, "‘I have a dream’: Martin Luther King Jr.’s words are long remembered," accessed January 17, 2020
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 American History From Revolution to Reconstruction and beyond, "Martin Luther King's I have a dream speech August 28 1963," accessed January 17, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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